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Microbial Quality Issues for Drinking Water

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Security of Public Water Supplies

Part of the book series: NATO Science Series ((ASEN2,volume 66))

Abstract

Microbial quality of drinking water continues to be an important public health issue, largely because of concerns with waterborne outbreaks and the fear that disinfectant applications are creating a health risk through development of potentially carcinogenic by-products (Craun, 1993; Craun, 1996). It would appear that the two issues are in conflict. What is most frightening is any decision to reduce disinfection protection from pathogenic agents because of the yet unproven risk from disinfection by-products. The problem is further complicated by a continual decline in source water quality for many utilities because of growing pressures from expanding activities on the watershed. The other growing concern is the lack of attention to infrastructure decay in aging treatment plants, corroding storage facilities and deteriorating distribution pipe networks (Davies et. al, 1997). All of these conditions are progressing towards greater microbial threats in the future that must be avoided.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 7330 Ticonderoga Ct., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45230, USA

    Edwin E. Geldreich (Consulting Microbiologist)

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  1. Edwin E. Geldreich
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Industrial Health, School of Public Health, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    R. A. Deininger

  2. Institute for Water Pollution Control, Water Resources Research Centre (VITUKI Plc.), Budapest, Hungary

    P. Literathy

  3. European Centre for Environment and Health, WHO, Rome, Italy

    J. Bartram

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© 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Geldreich, E.E. (2000). Microbial Quality Issues for Drinking Water. In: Deininger, R.A., Literathy, P., Bartram, J. (eds) Security of Public Water Supplies. NATO Science Series, vol 66. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4241-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4241-0_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-6122-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4241-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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